dragonballfandomcom-20200225-history
Body Change
or |similar='Body Change Special' }} Body Change (ボディチェンジ) is Captain Ginyu's signature technique. Overview When preparing to use the technique, Captain Ginyu usually begins by punching himself in the chest in order to give an injured body to his opponent. He then powers up, spreads his arms and legs apart, and shouts "Change, now!" as he fires an energy wave from his mouth into the opponent's mouth. When it is finished, Captain Ginyu is in the opponent's body, while they are in his own body. This technique appears to require the spoken component in order to work, unlike other techniques, which have been shown to work even when the wielders are underwater or otherwise rendered unable to speak, as in the anime Ginyu is shown needing Bulma's Universal Translator in order to Body Change out of the Namekian Frog. The Body Change technique appears to switch voices: while the characters retain their voice in the show in order to prevent confusion for the sake of the viewer, the bodies retain their natural voice in-universe. This is implied when Krillin and Gohan fail to recognize Ginyu as Goku right off the bat. However, in a filler part of the series, Ginyu did attempt to make himself sound more like Bulma in an attempt to fool Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan, but only garnered more suspicion from them. While the Body Change may seem to give Ginyu an advantage over powerful opponents (allowing him to obtain a powerful body and trapping his enemy inside his wounded body), this is shown to have one drawback which in certain situations may become severe: any host changing bodies must take time to get used to their new body before they can use its full power. This is already problematic enough if the body in question is vastly different from his own, but in situations where the key to accessing the body's maximum power is not anything he knows, or even anything strictly working within the body itself, it can become crippling to his output in relation to what its usual host is capable of. This is made clear in the case of his swap with Goku: Ginyu originally believed that Goku's abnormally high power level for a Saiyan was aided via some natural mutation; however, the true source of this power was actually the use of Goku's Kaio-ken technique, which Ginyu had never even heard of. This, combined with his having barely spent any time in Goku's body before facing Krillin and Gohan with Jeice, result in Ginyu bearing a relatively dim power level of 23,000. Usage Background Ginyu's special ability originated during his childhood: when Ginyu first learned of his Body Change ability, he swapped bodies with the richest kid in his class. This made him popular with girls but also stupid, and he soon realized that men should compete in terms of strength rather than money.Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu strategy guide, 1992 Due to this special ability, only a few people have seen Ginyu's true form and Salza, the leader of Cooler's Armored Squadron, is among them.Weekly Shōnen Jump no. 25, 1991''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, 2007 Anime/Manga Captain Ginyu is first seen using this attack against Goku after being defeated by the Saiyan's Kaio-ken technique. He and Jeice then flew off to find the Namekian Dragon Balls (which were already dug up by Gohan and Krillin), with an injured Goku trapped in Captain Ginyu's body slowly following behind. Later after killing Jeice, Vegeta attacked Captain Ginyu and knocked him down into the ground, much to the shock of Goku, Gohan, and Krillin. As Vegeta charged down towards Captain Ginyu, the captain attempted to use his Body Change technique against Vegeta. However, before the beam could hit Vegeta, Goku jumped in the way and got his body back while Captain Ginyu got his. Captain Ginyu soon used his Body Change in a final attempt to switch bodies with Vegeta again. However, before the beam could hit Vegeta, an injured Goku threw a frog up in the air in front of the Body Change beam. Captain Ginyu's mind became trapped in the frog's body and the frog's mind trapped in Captain Ginyu's body, with Captain Ginyu's body in the position of a frog, hopping away. Vegeta first motioned to crush Ginyu, but after Goku convinced him not to, he decided to let the frog go rather than get his boots dirty (especially since he figured Ginyu being trapped in the body of a frog was punishment enough). Anime Filler In the filler, the frog-bodied Captain Ginyu is unable to switch to a different body as the frog is incapable of speech, which apparently is a requirement for using the technique. However he encounters an abandoned Bulma who, lonely and wishing for someone to talk to, builds a device that would allow her to understand him, unaware of who he truly is. With the aid of the device Ginyu takes control of Bulma's body while trapping her in the frog's. Using Bulma's air bike, Ginyu journeys to the battlefield where Frieza is fighting Goku. Using Bulma's body, Ginyu tricks Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo into thinking he is Bulma. However, he is unable to keep up the ruse for very long as he is prone to admiring and rooting for Frieza out loud, demonstrating where his true loyalties lie, and frog-bodied Bulma tries to warn Gohan, who initially thinks she is Ginyu in the frog's body. Eventually, Gohan realizes Ginyu is in Bulma's body and Ginyu is forced to defend himself. Knowing Bulma's body is too weak, Ginyu tries to steal Piccolo's body, but Gohan quickly throws the frog-bodied Bulma between the two, resulting in Bulma regaining her body and Ginyu returning to the frog's body. Appearances in games The Body Change appears in ''Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza, Legend of the Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z: The Legend, and Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors. If Ginyu uses this technique in Legend of the Super Saiyan, the player can have one of his characters stuck in Ginyu's body for the rest of the game. It can be countered with a Namekian Frog card. The Body Change is Ginyu's ultimate technique in the ''Butōden'' series, the ''Budokai'' and ''Budokai Tenkaichi'' series. The first Budokai, Budokai Tenkaichi, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team, and Dragon Ball Kai: Ultimate Butōden are the only fighting games where Captain Ginyu's Body Change is a real body change with the opponent (in Burst Limit, the body keeps its original voice). In Ultimate Butōden, Ginyu can also change back to his body (which can be very useful for defeating an opponent by allowing the opponent to hurt Ginyu so then Ginyu could return to his body). In the Butōden series, when Ginyu uses the Body Change, no energy attacks of any kind are possible, and the effect drains the ki bar slowly and Ginyu will swap back when the bar is empty (the ki can be charged up to keep the exchange going longer). In Budokai Tenkaichi 2, when Ginyu uses the Body Change, instead of switching bodies with his opponent he picks a random character and he cannot use their transformations, Blast 1, 2 or Ultimate Blast. In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, he switches bodies with a random character (either Goku (Mid), Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, Jeice, or Nail), however as that character, he will be unable to use any of their transformations, Blast 1, Blast 2, or Ultimate Blast techniques (nor will he be able to return to his own body). In the ''Raging Blast'' series, Ginyu's Body Change has been reduced to simply changing with Goku and having all but his Ultimate Attack available. In Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, Ginyu in Goku's body is counted as a transformation for Ginyu, making him a separate character from his regular form. The Body Change technique can also be used by Ginyu in Dragon Ball: Zenkai Battle Royale. In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, the Body Change technique makes a successful return and is portrayed for the first time since ''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi'' as a technique that swaps the user with their target. Also, for the first time, it is portrayed as a technique that can be learned; the Future Warrior can learn the technique if they select Ginyu as their Master and successfully completes his training. The Body Change switches health, bodies, and, as in the anime series, voices as well. When the Body Change is used by one character in a match, it cannot be used again by any individual, even if they switch with another Body Change user. It is also possible to play as Goku in Ginyu's body as an alternate costume skin for Goku and Ginyu in Goku's body as an alternate costume skin for Ginyu. There is even a equipable Z-Soul that activates when the Body Change is used by the user. In the Xenoverse story mode, under Démigra's Dark Magic, Dark Ginyu uses the body change to switch with Vegeta. Removing his scouter from Vegeta in Ginyu's discarded body, Ginyu puts it on and finishes the Ginyu Force Fighting Pose in Vegeta's body before attacking Goku with the Ginyu Force. While Goku is distracted by the rest of Ginyu Force, Ginyu in Vegeta's performs the Body Change on Goku and Goku ends up in Vegeta's body while Ginyu final manages to obtain Goku's body. Ginyu in Goku's body then finishes Goku in Vegeta's body off with a Kamehameha, he then does a victory Ginyu Force Fighting Pose in Goku's Body with the Ginyu Force. To avert this change in history Future Trunks sends the Future Warrior to Age 762 at a time before this change occurs to help the Z-Fighters fight off Dark Ginyu and the Ginyu Force. While the Future Warrior is busy fighting with Jeice, Dark Ginyu tries to steal Goku's body, but Jeice knocks the Future Warrior into the path of the Body Change resulting in Ginyu switching body with the Future Warrior. The Future Warrior now in Ginyu's body teams up with Goku to defeat Burter, Jeice, and hold off Ginyu in the Warrior's body. Realizing that the Future Warrior could use that Ginyu's body to help Krillin and Gohan retrieve the Dragon Balls from Frieza's spaceship Goku asks the Warrior to use Ginyu's body to pretend to be Captain Ginyu, saying that he will hold off the Warrior's body. In Ginyu's body the Warrior infiltrates Frieza spaceship and finds Krillin and Gohan who at first mistake for Ginyu unaware of the body change. They are spotted by some of Frieza's henchmen forcing the Warrior, Krillin, and Gohan to fight them off. They eventually run into Guldo who first mistakes the Warrior for Captain Ginyu as he too was unaware of the body change but eventually he comes to realize Ginyu has switched bodies. The 3 manage to defeat Guldo & Frieza's henchmen and recover the 7 Namekian Dragon Balls. While outside with the Dragon Balls Ginyu flies on to the scene still in the Warriors body and confronts them with Goku in hot pursuit of Ginyu, Goku having managed to avoid having his body stolen by Ginyu due to Goku being aware of the technique thanks to Ginyu's swap with the Future Warrior. The Warrior and Goku take on Ginyu who tries once more to steal Goku's body but Future Trunks warns the Warrior that this is a chance to return to their own body and the Warrior jumps in front of Goku. The Warrior returns to their own body, while Ginyu now back in his own body has Guldo use Telekinesis to restrain Goku and finally successful steals Goku's body. The Warrior & Gohan realize what has happened as Ginyu attacks them in Goku's body, while Goku assists them in Ginyu's. When Guldo rushes to help his captain, Vegeta joins the fray telling Guldo he will be his opponent. The following battle pretty much plays out as in the original history with Vegeta knocking Goku's body to the with a Sledgehammer attack and Ginyu trying to swap Goku's damaged body with Vegeta only for Goku in Ginyu's body to jump in the way and return both of them to their original bodies and then Ginyu trying to swap his damaged body for Vegeta only for Goku to throw the Namekian Frog in front of Vegeta resulting in Ginyu switching bodies with the Namekian Frog. In Parallel Quest scenario, where the Ginyu Force invades Earth and Ginyu manages to steal Goku's body. After defeating the other Ginyu Force members in scenario, Ginyu will appear in Goku's body. Once he receives enough damage Ginyu will cause Goku's body to transform into a Super Saiyan granting Ginyu the use of Goku's Super Saiyan form. However Ginyu only does this during this Parallel Quest and Ginyu/Super Saiyan Goku is unplayable. Trivia *In Dragon Ball: Xenoverse, in a what-if Parallel Quest scenario Ginyu steals Goku's body and transforms into a Super Saiyan, indicating that Ginyu has access to any transformations his current body possesses. Ironically, as Super Saiyan Goku, Ginyu is stronger than his master Frieza. *Ginyu's bodyswap with Bulma in the anime classifies as a genderswap bodyswap, a male/female bodyswap. This is one of the few instances of genderswap or gender bending in the Dragon Ball series. *In Xenoverse, Ginyu briefly swaps bodies with the Future Warrior as part of the story. While in the Future Warrior's body, Ginyu will have access to any of the custom skills the player has equipped and wear whatever outfit or accessory the Future Warrior is wearing. If the Future Warrior is female this will result in a genderswap male/female bodyswap. Depending on the Warriors race, Ginyu will obtain either a Human, Saiyan, Namekian, Frieza's race, or Majin body as a result of the switch. While in Ginyu's body Warrior's chosen voice will still be present, though the Warrior will have Ginyu's skills instead of their custom skills. *In Xenoverse altered history, Dark Ginyu switches with Vegeta, then with Goku resulting in Vegeta ending up in Ginyu's body, Goku ending up in Vegeta's body and Dark Ginyu ending up in Goku's body. In Goku's body, Ginyu kills Goku in Vegeta's body with a Kamehameha. He also does the Ginyu Force Team Fighting Pose in both Vegeta's and Goku's bodies. *Though the technique allows Ginyu to switch with someone of a higher power level, it does not necessarily mean that he will be able to use said body to its full potential, as his switch with Goku clearly indicates as he was unable to use Goku's power level of 180,000 due being Ginyu being unaware Goku's power level boost was obtained via the Kaio-ken. As a result of being unfamiliar with Goku's body and unaware of the Kaio-ken, Ginyu was only able to manage to reach a maximum power level of 23,000 while in Goku's body. *It is never actually explained why Ginyu doesn't use Body Change to switch with Frieza himself which would allow him to obtain Frieza's body and power. However it is likely due to the fact that Ginyu is very loyal to Frieza and/or Frieza is aware of the technique and any attempt to use it on him would likely be viewed as an attempt to usurp Frieza and thus act of treason. Gallery Body Change Ginyu.jpg|Ginyu transferring his soul into Goku's body Body Change Goku.jpg|Goku while struggling against Ginyu's Body Change CaptainGinyuFrog.png|A frog with Ginyu's body Ginyu and Piccolo.png|Ginyu (inside of Bulma's body) tries to use the Body Change on Piccolo TE-091.jpg|Body Change in the Bandai CCG Bt 1 28.jpg|Captain Ginyu uses Body Change in Budokai Tenkaichi References Category:Techniques Category:Supportive techniques Category:Mouth techniques